Thai AIDS Treatment Group Press Release

EURODRUG - INFORMATION LIST OF THE EUROPEAN COALITION FOR JUST AND EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICIES

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*Contact:*

*Paisan Suwannawong, TTAG +66-81-824-5434*

*Karyn Kaplan, TTAG +66-81-866-1238*

* http://www.ttag.info < http://www.ttag. info >*

* *

_Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG) Press Release – February 14, 2008_

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Within days of his appointment earlier this month, Thailand's Interior
Minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, reinstated a war on drugs. Thai AIDS
Treatment Action Group (TTAG) is concerned that those responsible for
past human rights violations committed in the name of drug control have
not been held accountable, nor have steps been taken to ensure
oversight, professionalism, and accountability in drug suppression
efforts. Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently provided unpublished data
from the previous government's investigation into the 2003 war on drugs,
which found that 2,819 people were killed in 2,559 murder cases between
February and April in 2003. Of those killed, more than half had no
relation to drug dealing or had no apparent reason for their deaths. No
concrete action has been taken to redress these wrongs, or to prevent
their occurrence in the future.

The government's rash drug war announcement has not been accompanied by
appropriate mechanisms in place to guard against history repeating
itself. Apart from prosecuting perpetrators of past drug war-related
crimes, the Thai government must immediately hold public consultations
to discuss the impact, including human, social, political, and health
costs, of the Thai drug war approach, and develop policies and laws that
uphold human rights, not undermine them. Wholesale repression of the
type experienced in 2003 will again result in thousands of inappropriate
arrests, deaths, and the disruption of HIV prevention and other services.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej must urgently renounce the drug war and
all human rights violations that have taken place in its context. Drug
suppression efforts need to take place with full respect for due process
of law and human rights standards. In addition, Prime Minister Samak
should encourage his government to work with civil society organizations
including people who use drugs to develop a humane approach to the
country's drug problem, for example through the promulgation of a
national harm reduction policy supporting comprehensive harm reduction
services integrated into existing health and social policies and
programs and the immediate cessation of military-style compulsory drug
"treatment."

Continued rates of HIV infection among drug users in Thailand, and
reports of abuses by law enforcement, demonstrate how much is at stake.
Rather than being subjected to indiscriminate suppression, people who
use drugs must be supported to be actively and meaningfully involved in
leading harm reduction work in Thailand. Efforts to force tens of
thousands into prison or drug treatment are ineffective and immoral.

Recommendations from two previous Human Rights Watch (and TTAG) reports
still go unheeded. Please review these recommendations, below, and send
letters to the Prime Minister and Interior Minister demanding that they
SAY NO TO A THAI DRUG WAR and urgently hold past police officers guilty
of abuse and criminal offenses accountable. Demand that people who use
drugs are treated as human beings by the government and receive
appropriate, effective health and harm reduction services that meet them
where they are at, and prevent government actors from committing human
rights violations, in the name of drug demand and supply reduction and
national security.

Harm Reduction Saves Lives! NO MORE THAI DRUG WAR!

*_Address your letters and faxes to_:*

*His Excellency*

*Samak Sundaravej*

*Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand,
Government House,
Pitsanulok Road,
Bangkok 10300 THAILAND*

*FAX: +66-2-282-5131*

* *

*And*

* *

*Chalerm Yubamrung,*

*Minister of the Interior*

*Ministry of the Interior*

*Asdang Road, Bangkok, 10200 THAILAND*

*FAX: +66-2-222-8866*

*I. **RECOMMENDATIONS from: "Not Enough Graves: The War on Drugs,
HIV/AIDS, and Violations of Human Rights in Thailand"*

* http://www.hrw. org/campaigns/ aids/2004/ thai.htm ***

*To the government of **Thailand:*

*/Cease and publicly repudiate any policy of extrajudicial killing of
criminal suspects./* Royal Thai Police must conduct arrests of criminal
suspects using the minimum force necessary, as called for in the United
Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law
Enforcement Officials. The Thai government should ensure that the
National Human Rights Commission has the necessary resources and
authority to fully investigate extrajudicial killings and other serious
offenses committed in the context of the war on drugs. The Ministry of
Justice should completely and transparently prosecute all drug-related
homicides and release statistics on the status of these prosecutions.
Additionally, the government should invite the United Nations special
rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to
investigate these killings.

*/Cease the practice of placing drug suspects on "blacklists" or
"watchlists. " /*Publicly recognize that the practice of "blacklisting"
has been widely abused by local officials to settle scores with enemies
and has created pressures to include innocent people on the lists, many
of whom have been killed or wrongfully arrested.

*/Cease arbitrary arrests and other due process violations by Royal Thai
Police./*Cease all practices of false arrest, planting of narcotics on
drug suspects, and use of threats or physical force to coerce
confessions of drug activity. Cease arresting drug suspects on the sole
basis of a known history of drug use. Conduct independent and impartial
investigations of any allegations of these activities, and appropriately
discipline, discharge, or prosecute officers found to be complicit.
Repeal any policy that encourages law enforcement officers to stop or
arrest suspected drug users in order to meet predetermined targets for
drug treatment enrollment.

*/Take concrete steps to reduce drug users' fear of seeking health
services./*Immediat ely and publicly declare that drug users seeking
health services will not be penalized or forced into drug treatment
based solely on their self-identification as drug users. Conduct an
independent, publicly issued evaluation of the impact of the war on
drugs on the health-seeking behavior of drug users, including their
access to sterile syringes and other HIV prevention services. Provide
basic training to all police officers on referring known drug users to
treatment, HIV prevention and other health services. Cease any
interference with efforts by nongovernmental organizations to reach out
to drug users who have gone into hiding during the war on drugs.

*/Increase harm reduction services for drug users./*/ /Develop a clear
national harm reduction policy with the consultation of high-level
officials within the Ministry of Public Health, the Office of the
Narcotics Control Board, and the Prime Minister's Office. Establish
syringe exchange, methadone maintenance, and other harm reduction
programs commensurate with HIV prevention programs for other risk
populations such as sex workers and men who have sex with men. Include
harm reduction services in proposals for HIV prevention funding from
international donors and funding agencies. Evaluate the existence of any
legal barriers to harm reduction services, such as the use of syringe
possession as sufficient evidence to arrest drug suspects, and eliminate
these legal barriers.

*/Urgently establish HIV prevention services in all detention
facilities./ */ /Provide information about HIV transmission to all
prisoners, pre-trial detainees, and patients in compulsory drug
treatment centers. Ensure that all prison personnel receive training on
HIV prevention. Establish and evaluate pilot projects for the
distribution of condoms and sterile syringes in detention facilities,
based on best practices from other jurisdictions. Ensure that all
detainees receive relevant information on HIV transmission prior to
discharge. Promptly investigate any allegation of prison guards
receiving bribes to smuggle narcotics or drug paraphernalia into
prisons, and discipline guards accordingly.

*To the United Nations and all international donors to **Thailand:*

*/Promptly and clearly denounce human rights violations in Thailand's
war on drugs. /*The United Nations has the regional headquarters of its
drugs and crime office in Bangkok, and the United States provides
anti-narcotics training to the Thai police. Both should forcefully and
publicly declare that they oppose the methods being used in Thailand's
war on drugs, in addition to conducting ongoing monitoring of human
rights violations. If the extrajudicial killings and other human rights
violations are not fully and independently investigated, each should
consider redirecting programs from Thai government agencies to
nongovernmental organizations.

*/Take steps to mitigate the HIV/AIDS impact of Thai drug policy./*/
/Relevant United Nations officials and offices—such as the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the U.N. Special Rapporteur on
the Human Right to Health, the U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia,
the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)—should commission an
independent evaluation of the health impact of Thailand's war on drugs,
conducted by individuals with expertise in HIV/AIDS epidemiology, drug
demand reduction, and harm reduction. Donors to HIV/AIDS programs in
Thailand should call for an independent evaluation of the health impact
of Thailand's war on drugs, call for basic human rights improvements
including transparent investigations of alleged extrajudicial executions
of drug suspects, and include human rights requirements in any financial
assistance they provide directly to the Thai government.

*II. **RECOMMENDATIONS from: "Deadly Denial: Barriers to HIV/AIDS
Treatment for People Who Use Drugs in Thailand"*

* http://www.hrw. org/reports/ 2007/thailand110 7/ *

* *


Recommendations


To the government of Thailand


Increase harm reduction services for drug users:

· Develop a clear national harm reduction policy, consistent with
international standards, in consultation with high-level officials from
the Ministry of Public Health, the Office of the Narcotics Control
Board, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the National
Police Office, the Prime Minister's office, Thai and regional
non-governmental HIV/AIDS and harm reduction organizations, relevant
United Nations officials and offices (such as the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)), the U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in
Asia, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and people who
use drugs

· Establish and integrate needle and syringe exchange, methadone
maintenance therapy, and other evidence-based harm reduction
interventions into the existing Continuum of Care Centers in Thailand.

· Ensure that drug users have access to harm reduction services,
including methadone and sterile syringes, and that cost or fees are not
a barrier to such access. This would be consistent with the
constitutional provision that all persons shall be protected "against
dangerous infectious diseases" "free of charge and in a timely fashion."

· Establish clear, time-bound targets for extending the provision of
low-threshold harm reduction services to all parts of the country.


Take concrete steps to reduce drug users' fear of seeking health
services:

· Immediately and publicly declare that drug users seeking health
services will not be penalized or forced into drug treatment based
solely on their identification as drug users, and amend relevant laws
and policies to ensure prompt compliance with this policy.

· Provide basic training to police on HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and
treatment, and the importance of harm reduction in the fight against
HIV/AIDS.

· Take active steps to address drug users' distrust of public health
services. This should include concrete measures to ensure that
information about patient drug use provided in the course of medical
care is not shared with law enforcement officials and to establish and
sustain active cooperation with harm reduction programs and outreach
workers.

· Train healthcare providers in the appropriate care and treatment of
people who use drugs. This should include human rights training to
reduce stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs.


Take concrete steps to ensure drug users' rights to information:

· Ensure that drug users, healthcare providers, and law enforcement
officers have complete, accurate information about ART, HIV/AIDS, and
harm reduction services, and information about drug users' rights to
these services.

· Ensure that drug users can obtain ART, harm reduction, and other
HIV/AIDS information and services without fear of punishment or
discrimination.

· Expand and enhance the scope of and support for ART, harm reduction,
and other HIV/AIDS information and services including voluntary HIV
testing and counseling for people in prison and other places of detention.

· Provide information and training to healthcare providers about basic
principles and practices of providing antiretroviral treatment to
injection drug users, including about adherence support; drug-drug
interactions; and co-infection, such as with tuberculosis and hepatitis C.

· Provide information and training to drug users about HIV/AIDS-related
services, including ART, drug interactions, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C.

· Provide support for peer outreach and education workers, including as
counselors for HIV testing, ART adherence support, and harm reduction.

· Establish and strengthen communication among relevant ministries
(including the Ministry of Public Health, the Office of the Narcotics
Control Board, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the
National Police Office, and the Prime Minister's office).


Address structural barriers to care:

· Adopt and disseminate a clear national policy to ensure coordination
of basic services for drug users (HIV/AIDS services, harm reduction,
drug treatment, psychosocial support) and ensure that such services are
coordinated between those provided in the community and in custodial
settings.

· Develop effective referral systems between HIV, drug treatment, and
other relevant services to link community and custodial settings.

· Ensure that people who use drugs enjoy an equal right to receive
public health and welfare services, and protection against disease. The
Thai constitution provides that there should be guaranteed access to
public health and social welfare services.


To the government of the United States

· Lift the ban on U.S. funding for syringe exchange program services.

· Officially recognize the importance of harm reduction in preventing
HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and encourage and support
international efforts to implement harm reduction interventions,
including measures to ensure access to sterile syringes.


To the United Nations and International Donors to Thailand

* Relevant United Nations agencies (including UNAIDS, WHO, UNODC,
the U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia, and the U.N. Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Health) and international donors to
Thailand should take steps to ensure that Thailand promptly and
immediately adopt concrete measures to address drug users' fear of
seeking health services, and that Thailand promptly and
immediately meet its public commitments to ensure harm reduction,
ART, and other HIV/AIDS services for drug users.

* *

*III. **_ ARTICLE_**: **Thailand to revive controversial war on drugs* **

Reuters, Feb 7, 2008

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's new government will revive a
controversial war on drugs in which more than 2,500 alleged dealers were
killed, Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said on Thursday.

"Narcotics must be lessened in 90 days, although they can't be wiped
out," said Chalerm, a former police captain whose son was acquitted of
charges of killing a policeman in a bar for lack of evidence.

The fight against drugs was one of his top three priorities and he would
spend time along the border with Myanmar, the source of most drugs now
entering Thailand, seeking to defeat trafficking networks, Chalerm told
reporters.

The war on drugs launched by ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in
2003 was praised by many rural Thais whose villages were rife with drugs
but fiercely attacked by rights activists for giving police a "licence
to kill".

A military-appointed government, set up after the generals ousted
Thaksin in a bloodless 2006 coup, investigated Thaksin's war and called
it a "crime against humanity", but failed to link Thaksin to
extrajudicial killings.

Thaksin, now living in exile in Hong Kong, won a second landslide
election victory two years after the war on drug was launched, largely
on the back of support in the countryside.

At the time, Thailand, once a major supplier of heroin from the Golden
Triangle where it meets Myanmar and Laos, was awash with
methamphetamines made across the border in the former Burma.

The war on drugs cut supply and pushed up prices for a while, but
business returned to normal after the campaign petered out, anti-drug
agencies say.

Source: http://in.reuters. com/article/ worldNews/ idINIndia- 31814820080207
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